


When She Wakes

by IBrokeBad



Category: Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-30 09:23:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15748839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IBrokeBad/pseuds/IBrokeBad





	1. Prologue

The nightmares begin when they shut the coffin. The light is gone, the air is smothered out, and Elena is left alone.

At first her sleep had been hazy and blank, but now all she sees is bloody, curled fingers outstretched, ready to choke the life out of her. She sees Kai's eyes boring into her vacantly and unapologetically.

"You can't leave, Elena," he says now - whenever that is - in a mockingly sad tone. Dead eyes lock onto her like guns ready to fire, "You're stuck with me."

"Not forever," her slurred voice replies, fighting through the heaviness of sleep. They sit opposite each other at a high school lunch table. The Mystic Falls Timberwolves snarl threateningly down at the two of them from a poster on the wall as the florescent lights buzz around them.

He laughs, the sound reverberating between her eardrums. "It may not be forever, but it will feel like it."

"I think I finally figured out why you're here in my head," Elena says decidedly. "You're here to torture me."

He grins, "I'm here to keep you company."

"Same thing."

He places a palm over his heart as if offended, "That hurts my feelings, Elena." Then he stops and snorts, "Oh wait, I don't have those."

"Your plan failed, Kai, so you can stop acting like you still have some dignity left," Elena mutters, moving to get out of the small chair.

"Oh, I know," he smiles, then stretches two fingers towards her, causing her to freeze and slam back into the seat. "You're just cranky because all of your friends are out there living their lives while you rot away in here. Hey, do you think you'll age while you sleep? I think humans age slower when they sleep, but what the hell do I know, I'm not a scientist-"

Elena grits her teeth and scowls at him. Endless time spent with Kai is a punishment that she wouldn't wish on even her worst enemies. She doesn't even know why she's plagued with his presence. As far as she knows, Damon had killed him. Yet here he is, never allowing her a moment's peace. At this point her patience is thinner than thin and the probability of her snapping at him is high. Not that it matters anyway. He probably isn't even real.

"Hey!" His voice slices through her thoughts. "Pay attention when I'm talking."

She sighs, recognizing this shift in the dream. This is the part where the dream becomes a nightmare.

"You know how much power I have in here?" He asks with a tilt of the head. "A lot more than you do, Elena Gilbert. This is my curse you're under."

Elena thinks through her options. This is usually the part where she either fights back or submits. In the past, neither option ever ends well, but one is always less trouble. Unfortunately, she hates that option.

Making up her mind, she leaps out of her chair and snaps a chunk of wood off of its leg. She holds it firmly before bolting out of the cafeteria into the school hallway.

As each step slaps against the tile floor, she hears his laughter echoing around her.

"Look at you go," he sings.

Her ragged breaths start to become painful as she prays that this will be the time that she gets away. Just this once.

"You can't leave, Elena." Kai appears to her right, cold smile in place below a striking pair of eyes.

She shouts and stabs him, the wooden stake sinking into his chest. He screams, the sound sending chills crawling up her back.

"I can and I will," Elena cries, enraged tears sliding down her cheeks. "I  _will_  leave, you son of a bitch!"

He laughs at her tears, "Not before I kill you, darling."

"You can't kill me, you're dead."

He wraps his fingers around the stake and slides it out of his chest with a sickening squish, and Elena feels dread sink into her stomach. His smile grows bigger, "That doesn't mean I can't try."

And as always, he takes the stake and slashes her throat.

Pain erupts everywhere and her vision slides out of focus.

And as always, everything goes black, and when her eyes open the nightmare starts all over again.

* * *

 

She's running from Kai again.

She'd stabbed in the face this time and laughed hysterically. Hey, she had to take it where she could get it.

Panting, she speeds down the hallway. In the back of her mind she wonders if she'll ever stop fighting these endless dreams.

 _Nope,_  she thinks.  _Let's_ _not go there yet._ _Not when_ _I_ _still have fight left in me_ _-_

" _SON OF A BITCH_!"

Elena squeaks, eyes darting this way and that for the source of the new voice. It certainly wasn't Kai. Then a tingling sensation brushes her chest, causing her heart to patter.

Her ears strain as her legs come to a stop. Kai is nowhere to be seen and the unfamiliar voice still echoes. It sounded extremely. . . irritated. Although, she can't imagine how he'd be any more agitated than her.

Speaking of agitation:

"Did you think you could run from me? In here?" Kai says from behind her. His smooth, young face is stained with crimson.

She groans, "Could you just  _sto_ _p_  appearing out of nowhere like that?! It's getting old."

Kai grins, the white of his teeth shocking against the red, and quips, "So are your friends." His blue eyes twinkle.

Elena rolls her eyes, "I guess I walked right into that one."

"So what do you want to do, Elena?" He steps closer to her. She steps back. "Really  _think_  this time. Entertain me."

"I don't think I will. I think I'll just bore you to death. Maybe then you'll leave me alone."

"No," he says, not smiling anymore. "Oh, sweetie," He shakes his head at her as if she were a small child. "I'll never leave you alone."

A chill runs across her skin. She opens her mouth to reply, "You can go to hell-"

" _Why_ _can't_ _you just be a normal_ _dead_ _person_?!"

Elena jumps. There's that voice again. She looks at Kai, "Did you hear that?"

His dark eyebrows lower, eyes blank, "Hear what?"

"That voice. A man yelling about-"

His hand snaps up to close around her throat. She sees the shift in his jaw as he works his mouth into a smirk. "I think you're going a little nutty, Elena." She gags, shoving at his arm as he squeezes tighter. "Fine by me. You'll be so much more fun."

She stares into his cold, cold eyes as his fingers smother the air out of her. Her eyes roll back, the world turning black.

And the dream starts again.


	2. Ten

Okay, this isn't what it looks like.

You'd probably see Dean Winchester standing over a beautiful tombstone with a shovel in his hand and you might think,  _this jerk is trying to rob this poor person's grave_.

This statement is inaccurate.

Firstly, this person is not poor. Clearly, since the coffin is located within an extravagant tomb. But it isn't one of those simple tombs that's just a concrete room. No, no, that would be crazy. Instead it's an actual dirt grave with four freaking marble walls surrounding it. A stone monument towers in the dirt, covered in a ridiculous number of bouquets in every color and size. Even the damn dirt is pretty.

And secondly, a dead person doesn't need material things. What dead person needs a little vial of liquid anyway?

And honestly, all Dean wants is to bust open the coffin, grab the cure, and be on his merry-fucking way.

Evidently, that won't be happening.

The roof of the tomb is a stained glass window, which is propped open to let in sunlight. Most likely on a sunny day, the light would stream down onto the monument like a spotlight. Only now, as Dean shovels through the dirt, the window lets in an unapologetic downpour of rain.  _Whoever the idiots who paid for this are, they_ _didn't_ _even bother to close the_ _freaking_ _sunroof._

Heavy mud continues to weigh him down and droplets stick to his eyelids, blurring his vision as he peers down at the coffin, now unearthed. He tosses the shovel aside and it scrapes the surface of the wooden casket, landing with a wet thump.

Dean blinks several times in attempt to see clearly what is inside it.

It's a young woman, lying with her hands folded over her torso. Even through the storm his eyes find themselves latching on to her face like a magnet. The rain blurs the lines of brown hair and soft lips.

But he can't be distracted by that. He tears his eyes away and pats a hand around the interior of the coffin, searching for a pocket or compartment.

Impatience sets in as nothing appears, and he lets out an agitated groan. His vision wavers and the jacket on his back soaks through as rain continues it's downpour.

"Son of a bitch!" He growls through his teeth.

Dean rests his head against the inside of the coffin's lid, leaning over the unconscious body. He can't even think of what he'll do if the cure isn't here.

Then, so softly that he almost doesn't notice, there is a little puff of air against his neck. At first he thinks it's just the tingling of a raindrop sliding down his neck. He looks down at the girl below him, eyes narrowed.

Then he sees it. The subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathes in and out.

 _Dead people_ _don't_ _breathe._

 _Dead. People._ _Don't_ _. Breathe._

_Deadpeopledon'tfuckingbreathe._

He glares down at the body and leans forward slowly until his ear is against her chest. The space between him and her closes and he feels a tingling sensation. It is difficult to hear at first above the heavy patter of rain, but there it is. A strong, steady beat.

He recoils.  _Shit_.

"Why can't you just be a normal dead person?" Dean mutters, rubbing a hand over his face.

He stares at her for a good three minutes before he purses his lips and snatches his phone out of his pocket. He dials a number, fingers smearing on the wet screen.

"Dean?" Cas's voice comes through. "Did you find it? Was it in the coffin?"

"No." Dean eyes the girl cautiously. "But the body buried in it . . ."

"What about it? It is a woman, I believe. She is supposedly the vampire's girlfriend."

"His girlfriend?" Dean shakes his head. "Well, there's a problem. She's still alive."

He hears an intake of breath, "Has she said anything about the cure?"

"She's asleep. Won't wake up."

There is a silence on the other end.

"Cas?" Dean says. "What should I do?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know . . . put her back?"

"Your tone suggests moral conflict."

"Well, it isn't our business, Cas. And you know what happens when we mess with things that we don't understand. Like that stupid vampire nest that got us in this shit in the first place. Oh, God, and Sam's still-"

"I will find another solution, Dean. Trust me."

"Is he okay?"

"Yes . . . no. He's in pain, but he's fighting it." Cas says. He pauses for a moment before saying, "Dean, what are you going to do?"

"I'll put her back."

"Okay, but your tone suggests-"

"Dude, stop analyzing my tone!"

"Sorry."

"I should bring her to the bunker."

"What do you plan on doing with her?"

"I don't know, figure out what the hell is wrong with her?" Dean nudges the girl's arm and flinches when he receives the same shock he had when he first touched her.

"Dean, what about her boyfriend? He'll look for her."

"He didn't seem to mind me shoveling her out of here." Dean glances back to the large house across the grassy field. "Doesn't look like anyone's home either."

Cas sighs, "Just be careful, Dean. Those vampires are dangerous."

Dean scoffs, "Yeah, okay," already starting to lift the girl out of the casket. She huffs as he hoists her over his shoulder, hand placed on her lower back to keep her steady. "Bye Cas."

* * *

 

Getting her into the back seat turns out to be more difficult than he thought it'd be.

She doesn't weigh much, which is fantastic, but it's fucking raining. His boots sink deeper into the mud with each step and the damn girl gets heavier the more she gets wet.

Her little dress sticks to his arm as he clutches onto her to keep her from slipping.

When Dean finally arrives at the Impala he sighs happily. He pops open the back door and moves to put her into the seat only to smack her head against the roof none too gently.

"Ah shit," he mutters. "Watch your head, will you?"

He can practically see the dissatisfied frown on her pretty face.

"I slipped, okay?" He tells her defensively. "How 'bout a thank you? You know I could have left you in that hole."

She is silent as he sets her into the seat.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." Dean says, shutting the door and climbing into the driver's seat.

* * *

 

A thud sounds from the back seat.

"Son of a bitch, what now?"

He squints into the rearview mirror at the girl. She is still out, same as before, her dress rumpled and arm dangling over the side if the seat. A lock of hair flips over her face as her head rolls slightly. Dean smirks.  _Bet_ _that's_ _annoying as hell - not being able to move the damn hair out_ _of your_ _face._

He clears his throat, stopping his hand from leaving the steering wheel to move it for her. Scoffing, he pretends that he hadn't been about to that.

He makes a turn onto the highway, causing her arm to swing and smack the seat in front of her, making the thudding sound again.

"Hey, would you keep it down back there?" he says. "Can't have people thinking I'm a murderer carrying some body in the back."

He glances in the mirror again and rolls his eyes, "I know I  _am_  a murderer carrying a body in the back, but you know what I mean. I didn't murder you at least."

Her face seems to be mocking him, even in her sleep. Silence falls over them and he frowns. "How 'bout some tunes?"

Dean slaps the radio on, "What do you want? Top 100?" He chuckles. "You look young. That probably means you want to listen to some pop shit."

He flips through the stations, stopping and grinning when Led Zeppelin comes on. "Yeah, see, this is music, young grasshopper." He sings the guitar line, the Impala wobbling slightly as a result of his air drumming when the rhythm kicks in hard.

The brown hair falls away from Elena's face, revealing a relaxed expression and a mouth that looks vaguely as if it's smiling.

"I knew you'd like it, Elena. I mean, who doesn't like Zeppelin?"

Dean's mouth clamps shut now as he realizes that's the first time he'd said her name out loud since he'd read it on her tombstone.

"What happened to you, Elena?" He says.

The Impala hits a speed bump causing her body to jerk and slide out of the seat with a wet squeak. She lands face down on the floor.

"Man, I knew I should've put the seat belt on." He drives on, deliberating whether or not to stop the car and pick her back up. It's not like she would care, she's asleep.

He groans.  _Damn, Sam must be rubbing off on me_.

The Impala screeches to a stop and he puts it in park. He unbuckles and climbs out, grumbling crabbily. He opens the back door and stands with his hands on his hips, contemplating whether or not to strap her to the roof to prevent himself from any further distractions.

He shakes his head, then reaches for her to put her back into a seated position.

"There," Dean says, hurriedly straightening her dress and pulling the seatbelt across her torso. A tingling feeling starts again at his fingertips at the contact, and he recoils as the sensation travels past his fingers, up his arm and through his entire body. He frowns, wary at the strength of it.

Dean allows himself to study her for a moment. She's still wet, her skin glistening faintly in the late afternoon light as the sun appears from behind the disappearing rainclouds. Her dark hair seems to be drying though, as he pushes it out of her face.

Dean's stare lands on her eyelids and he wonders what color her eyes are.

That thought comes to a quick stop as he realizes that he's looming over an unconscious girl like some creep. Swiftly, he slams the door closed and returns to the driver's seat.

* * *

 

He's been driving for three hours when the first yawn gets him. He can't remember the last time he's had a full nights sleep. The Impala speeds down the road, The Rolling Stones blasting, as he thinks back.

"Monday. That's when," he says to perhaps Elena, who for some reason he feels is the perfect person to talk to. He refuses to talk to himself, though. He doesn't like him very much.

"That's, what, four days ago?" He continues. "Got a few hours here and there after that." He peers at the mirror for a brief second and shakes his head. "I'd say I'm jealous of you but I'm not really. Who knows how long you've been asleep?"

Another yawn overtakes him before his phone rings.

He picks it up, "Cas, how is he?"

"He's okay. He's transitioning, but he isn't attacking me anymore-"

"He attacked you?"

"Yes."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

There is a pause.

"Well, what's he doing now?"

There is a shuffling on the other end, "He's sleeping."

"Wonderful."

"Is that sarcasm, Dean?"

He laughs, "What do you think?"

Another long pause, "I think that was sarcasm."

Dean looks back at Elena, "Well, it just feels like everyone's sleeping but me."

"I'm not sleeping."

"I don't think that makes me feel better."

"How's the girl?"

"Still out. Did you find anything on her?"

"My research skills aren't as sharp as your brother's," he says. "But I found some school and family records."

"And?"

"According to the internet she is descended from one of the town's founding families."

"That's not all that impressive," Dean says. "That scrawny little town? Mythic Falls?"

" _Mysti_ c Falls."

"Right," Dean rolls his eyes, "Okay, so she's loaded. Anything else?"

"Yes, there seems to be a number of obituaries connected to her name."

Dean's fingers tighten around the steering wheel, "Anything supernatural?"

He hears Cas sigh, "There is no solid evidence, but there are several news articles that suggest supernatural involvement. Kids found in the woods, poorly explained family deaths-"

"What about sleeping spells? Did you research those?"

"I'm not finding anything yet, Dean, I'm sorry."

Dean yawns, "It's okay. I'll help look into it when I get there."

Immediately, Cas's voice springs into its concerned tone, "Dean, when was the last time you slept more than three hours?"

"Look, Cas, I'm fine-"

"Take a nap."

"No."

"Dean, where are you?" Cas asks with sharp accusation.

"Just passed through Frankfort."

"You still have hours of driving to do. You can't drive that long without-"

"Cas, I'm fine, okay? Sam needs me right now and I can't just stop to take a nap."

"But Dean-"

"Bye Cas." He hangs up and runs a hand over his weary face.

With a newfound determination, Dean drives on, every now and then slapping himself awake.

"What are you laughing at?" Dean snaps at Elena after several miles. "How 'bout you sit your pretty self up here and drive while I do the sleeping, huh?"

She replies with only a long exhale, her head rocking gently to rest against the back of the seat.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Dean says, turning up the radio.

* * *

 

Dean decides to check into a motel. He hopes Cas can handle Sam's transition for a few hours while Dean tries to catch a few hours of sleep.

After explaining to the guy at the check-in desk that his girlfriend was just  _supe_ r tired, he yanks Elena out of the back seat and dumps her into the bed next to his. She better be thankful too, because one - he could have left her in the car, and two - he paid for a whole extra bed for her.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," he says, flopping onto his bed. He turns his head to look at her.

The bedside lamp lights her face. By now any makeup they'd caked on her from her funeral is washed away. And Dean falls asleep thinking that she's kinda beautiful.

 


	3. Nine

 

_Someone's phone is ringing._

Elena feels a sharp irritation as the unnecessarily loud tone continues to echo for several minutes.

_For the love of - will someone answer the_ _phone?!_

Then she realizes that she's alone in her own head. No dreams, no nightmares, no memories. Just sleep. Mere unconsciousness for the first time since yesterday. She'd experienced only glimmers of it the other day when she felt strong arms firmly around her. Then again when  _someone_  slammed her head into something.

She feels relief flood her at the thought that Kai may finally be gone. Confusion and fear bubbles up afterwards when she remembers that she has no idea where she is, let alone the man lugging her around.

RIIIIIIINNNNGGGG!

_Okay, seriously, where's that weird guy who was talking earlier? It has to be his phone._

Elena tolerates several more rings until it finally goes to voice mail. Seconds later it begins ringing again.

_Look, guy-man-whatever your name is, it could be an emergency. This is the third call, you should really-_

"Cas?" A deep, groggy voice answers.

_Finally._

She listens as the voice speaks:

"Yeah, I slept, and shut up. I don't wanna hear any 'I told you so's." He sounds rested, much more so than yesterday. Elena had caught snippets of him talking to her. Though why he was talking to her, she doesn't know, but she'd heard bits of several rants about music on the radio as well as a long, winded lecture on the superiority of pie as a dessert.

There's faint murmuring through the phone's speaker as Elena tries to zero in her attention to her fingers. Maybe if she tries hard enough she'll be able to move-

"Yeah, she's still asleep," the man says. Elena hears a ruffle of clothing and inhales a subtle whiff of alcohol. "How's Sam?"

More indistinct words and her stupid fingers won't budge. She wishes she could at least open her eyes.

"Okay, just keep him there. We can't have any more incidents." Pause. "You don't need to be sorry, you're not the one who bit me. Besides, it's not so bad. It was almost like wrestling when we were kids. He was always the one doing the biting, the damn cheat."

The man laughs heartily as if he'd just remembered the greatest joke. The smallest twinge of concern is in his voice as he speaks again.

"Yeah, I'm leaving the motel in a bit. I should be there by tonight, call me if anything happens." There is a beep as he hangs up.

She hears footsteps walk past her and into another room. A door shuts and there's a muffled squeak as water starts running.

Elena listens in amusement as the man powers through two shower performances of a Foreigner song followed by a Jimi Hendrix vocal-guitar solo. If only Elena could giggle out loud.

The humor dies quickly though, and she resumes her attempts at breaking out of her paralysis.

_Okay,_ _don't_ _panic._ _You've_ _beaten much_ _worse_ _than_ _this._

_Think, just think. This all started yesterday. What could've pulled me out of my sleep?_ _Kai's own death_ _hadn't_ _even been able to do that._

Has this man broken the spell? Elena wonders if maybe the reason this is happening is because Bonnie is dead. That thought sends a chill through her body.

_And where are Damon and Stefan? They said they'd keep the cure safe._ _Oh, God, what if something happened to them too?_

Very briefly, the thought that this stranger, the one now belting out Def Leppard, could have killed Bonnie or Damon or Stefan, crosses her mind. She can't fathom it. She can't find it in herself to be afraid of him. Annoyed maybe, but not afraid.

As if to prove her point, there is an echoing thud as the man drops what sounds like a bar of soap and shouts, "Son of a bitch!"

The sound of water splashing follows.

Still, this is the man that dug her out of her grave and had no problem carrying her sleeping body around. There's no way he's trustworthy.

Seeming to have recovered from the soap incident, the man resumes his eighties ballad with newfound enthusiam.

Elena inwardly laughs.

The water finally shuts off. Panic sets in and she feels her heartbeat quicken.

The bathroom door opens loudly, the man humming. He travels about the room, getting dressed and collecting his things before she feels him stop next to her bed.

"Time to go, Elena," he says, surprising her. "Up we go. Let's get you in the car . . ."

Then she feels those arms faintly around her again, only this time she can smell him too. Motel soap.

Then he freezes suddenly, and she just feels him looking at her. That buzz as their skin touches returns, warming her body completely.

She wishes she could see what he looks like.

"Hey," he says softly. "Your heart's beating faster."

If she could turn red, she would. Her semi-consciousness prevents that,  _thank goodness_ _,_ but she does feel a fluttering in her gut. A very uncomfortable mixture of nervousness and uncertainty and something unfamiliar.

Elena bounces slightly with each step he takes. Soon warmth hits her, feeling vaguely like the summer sun and fresh air.

"Don't look, don't look, please don't look this way," the man mutters hastily, then, "Oh, shit-"

"Hey, what's going on here?" A faraway voice calls. She hears rapid footsteps coming towards them.

The man holding her h  
groans before calling, "Hello, uh, Edward- er, Edmund. Eddie?"

"It's Edwick," the voice says, now in front of them.

" _Right_. Edwick. The security guy. Don't hear that name often," the man says brightly.

_I really_ _don't_ _think_ _you_ _should_ _be mocking him_ _right_ _now, bud. He just caught you sneaking around with an unconscious body in your arms._

"So mister . . . what did you say your name was?" She can almost hear the cross of his arms.

"Uh, Bonham. John Bonham." The man says, adjusting his hold on her. His strong fingers grip her firmly.

_Right, like that's_ _not_ _suspicious._

"That's your girlfriend, right?" He asks then. "She's pretty."

_I guess he_ _doesn't_ _listen to music._

"Oh, yeah! She just had a late night." Elena can feel how steady his heartbeat is against her ear. An easy liar.

"She was asleep when you checked in last night, wasn't she?" Edwick asks.

"She has a medical condition."

"Okay . . ."

_Yeah,_ _I_ _don't think_ _he's_ _buying it._

Clearly, her guy senses this too so he says quickly, "Just what do you think's going on here, Edwick?", his deep voice vibrating in his chest. "Do you think I'm some kind of criminal?"

"Well, I-"

"She's not drugged if that's what you're saying."

"She  _could_  be drugged," he suggests feebly.

"Really? What kind of guy would drug a girl up and just carry her around in broad daylight? Do you think I'm stupid enough to do something like that?"

"No?"

"No," her guy says, a subtle but frightening hint of warning in his voice as he starts moving towards the car again. "We're leaving now. I left the keys on the door."

"O-okay," the motel man stutters.

As her kidnapper places her into the back seat of his car, Elena takes back what she thought about him seeming harmless. He might just hurt her after all.

* * *

 

Three food stops and one gas station later, they finally make it to the bunker.

Dean tosses Elena over his shoulder, careful to avoid contact with her skin after several incidents involving extremely unwanted sensations.

Cas meets them at the door, wide blue eyes glad to see Dean, yet tired at the same time. Dean can only guess he's been up for hours researching.

Those wide blues look at Dean with relief before settling on the girl atop his shoulder. "She's pretty."

"That's what everyone says." Dean replies shortly, setting her on the couch. "The motel guy, the girl at the gas station, the biker-"

"What do you think?" Cas asks, eyebrows quirked in curiosity.

"What do I think about what?" Dean says, a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

There is a pause before Cas shakes his head, "Nevermind- where are you going?"

Dean bounds toward their dungeon, "To see Sam."

"He's - wait, Dean!"

Footsteps fade and Elena is left alone.

* * *

 

Sam doesn't look so great.

Fatigue pulls his eyelids closed and his shallow breaths steal his energy. A pain clenches Dean's chest. This had been his fault. If he hadn't jumped out of the way when-

"Dean?" Sam's hoarse voice calls as soon as he reaches the outside of the cell door.

"How did you-"

"I heard you talking," Sam says with a light chuckle. Through the window Dean sees him sitting against the wall, hair slightly strewn over his face.

"Ah. Vamp hearing."

"Yeah. And vamp hunger, vamp sunburns, and  _freaking_   _vamp_   _diet_."

"Whoa, cranky Sam."

"Shut up, Dean."

Dean laughs at an attempt at lightness. "Look, Sam, we're finding a cure. There's one out there, we just have to locate it."

"Yeah," Sam sighs, resting his head against the wall. "Okay."

"Dean," he feels a nudge at his shoulder, and turns to find Cas. "Come take a look at this."

He sends his brother a smile, which he hopes looks comforting, before following Cas into the hallway.

Sam's eyes focus on him momentarily before glazing over and drifting to the opposite wall.

"What'd you find, Cas?" Dean asks.

He thrusts a laptop into his hands. "Elena Gilbert."

Dean scans the page, which is from a newspaper article just a seven years old.

_Pictured to the left is Elena Gilbert, daughter of the deceased. To her right is her younger brother Jeremy Gilbert._

Dean stares at the picture for a long while. Elena's eyes are aimed downward at a coffin, still hiding from him. There are no tears on her face, only a stiff mouth forcing itself not to break.

"She and her parents were in a car accident," Dean says, "And only she survived. That's suspicious."

Cas purses his lips, "Scroll down."

Below that article is another one from a few years afterwards.

_Fire at Gilbert home. Pictured to the left is the estate before, pictured to the right is what remains as of last night. Neighbors_ _claim_ _that the fire started between the times_ _of_ _nine and ten at night._

_"_ Also a little weird," Dean says cautiously. "Any casualties?"

"Yes," Cas says, pointing a finger at the boy in the picture, "Jeremy, her brother. . . and there's more."

Dean feels a nagging combination of ' _what the hell is this girl involved in?'_  and ' _dammit_ _, getting information on this cure from her is starting to sound impossible,'_ as he continues to scroll through several articles, all involving Elena and death.

One after another. Elena and death, death and Elena.

"Okay, so what are you thinking?" Dean asks with a frown, handing back the laptop.

"There are many different sleeping curses, Dean. All of them have a catch, just like all magic," Cas says with a sigh. "So unless we have some way of narrowing down which curse we're dealing with, we can't be sure what to do."

"Come on, there has to be something else."

"Well, lore has mentioned one solution quite consistently," Cas says, glancing at Dean with hesitation. "A kiss."

"A kiss?" Dean's voice booms.

"That's what the lore says."

"That's stupid-"

"It says specifically a kiss of love."

"Dude, are you sure you're not just reading some Disney shit? True love's kiss is just fairy tale crap."

"Fairy tales come from somewhere, Dean," Cas says impatiently. "And it's not crap-"

"You would think," Dean says heatedly, "That villains would learn to stop making spells that can be broken by kisses! Of course the spell's gonna get broken, everybody wants to kiss a princess, so eventually  _somebody'_ s gotta be the right person."

"Elena isn't a princess."

"Well, apparently she's a damn hot commodity because everywhere I go people go out of their way to tell me how freaking pretty she is-"

"Do you not find her attractive?'

"Okay, that's not the point, Cas. I'm just saying that this girl is - I don't know, something."

"Something?"

"She isn't normal."

"Not many people are, Dean."

"There's something up with her, man. We could be stepping into some deep shit by getting involved with her."

Cas's eyebrows lower, "Then why did you take her?"

Dean looks away from him and passes a hand over his face. "I . . . wanted to save her."

The look on the angel's face softens minutely, "Dean-"

"And I just hoped that if we could find find a way to wake her up, then she could tell us where this cure is," Dean explains, "But this case is looking weirder and weirder the more I think about it. I mean, death follows her everywhere. And sleeping curses? I don't know-"

"Her life isn't any stranger than yours, Dean."

Dean laughs and says with sarcasm, "Can't argue with that. In fact, let's just adopt her into our family, she'll fit right in." He shakes his head in exasperation, "Look, we either find a way to get her a kiss or we look for some other solution."

"Maybe we should track down the boyfriend. Salvatore, I think his name is."

"Boyfriend was AWOL. I'm telling you that house was deserted when I got there. Doesn't look like anyone's been there in years."

Cas tilts his head, "Why don't you kiss her?"

Dean scoffs, "Because one: It wouldn't do anything, and two: it's creepy."

"We're past creepy already."

"Well, I don't want to get any farther past creepy, thank you very much."

"You could just try it."

"Cas-"

"You want her to wake up, don't you? It won't hurt to try."

"Just do it, Dean!" Sam shouts, tone irritable, from inside his cell.

Dean's jaw locks and he presses his lips together. He mutters several things under his breath and he stomps back to where they left her on the couch.

She breathes deeply in and out, long legs stretched out. Dean eyes her violet blue dress framing her small body as they approach her. Then he looks at her cheekbones. Her thick eyelashes. Dean almost forgot how striking her face is.

Yeah, he feels creepy.

"Fine. One  _quick_ kiss," he says, tossing Cas a serious look. "But you have to get the hell outta here, I can't do it with you staring at me."

"All right," Cas says, almost looking amused. "Just call me if you need anything."

"Okay, but if this doesn't work, I'm making you kiss her too!" Dean calls after him. "You too, Sam, I know you can hear me!"

As soon as the door shuts, Dean let's out a heavy breath. He looks down at the young woman, eyes settling on her closed eyes, her nose, then her mouth. She has a pretty mouth. Soft. Sweet.

He kneels next to the couch, staring down any her intently. Each inch that he moves closer to her he feels a tight crackle in the air between them, tugging him closer.

Now he's close enough to feel her cool breaths against his face, and warmth spreads inside of him, starting at the pit of his stomach and reaching up to grab his heart.

His lips part slightly and his mouth is on hers.

The breath gets sucked out of him as his nerves catch fire. His eyes close and he's enveloped in heat, his heart dancing. He pushes farther into her mouth until he feels her tongue and his stomach performs a somersault. He puts a hand on her face, liking the smoothness of her skin against his fingers.

Suddenly she's kissing him back.

She's kissing him back and it tastes fucking good.

He springs away from her, one hand on his mouth.  _Damn, that felt-_

Her eyes are open, and Dean sees that they are brown. Warm. Shimmering like whiskey.

He freezes, not wanting to shock her as she blinks several times. Something, perhaps fear or confusion, shrinks in her gaze before quickly morphing into relief.

She doesn't appear to notice him as she just breathes deeply in and out. Then, shakily, she lifts her hand to feel the pillow behind her head, running her fingers against the fabric. A wide smile breaks across her face.

"Um-" Dean clears his throat.

Her eyes snap to his, startled, and she stares at him with a suffocating intensity until Dean shifts from foot to foot uncomfortably.

"Uh, Hi, I'm Dea-"

Then, without warning, Elena gets up and slaps his arm, eyes on fire.

"You ass! Do you even know how many times you hit my head on something?"

Dean sputters for a moment before returning angrily, "Hey, I could have left you in that damn coffin!"

"I was  _supposed_  to stay in there!" She snaps. "Who knows what consequences we'll face now that I'm awake. There can't just be this gaping loophole in Kai's spell, he's too smart for that-"

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, but there's no way I'm feeling bad for saving your life you ungrateful little-"

"And don't even get me started on the constant flirting! I mean seriously? The gas station attendant, that girl at the toll booth, the girl at the drive through,  _and_ the girl at the car wash! Every single time with me laying right next to you. 'Oh, she's just my sister' you'd say. 'She's just my  _really tired_ sister'. And let's not forget that time that-"

"Look, I can't help that I'm a lady magnet, okay?" Then he says, "So sorry for being myself instead of ignoring everyone and carrying you around like the pope!"

"You know what? You probably couldn't go five minutes without hitting on a woman."

"Hey, you don't know me, okay?" Dean jabs a finger at her. "And it's not like you've been some big help to me, Princess. I went out of my way to help you while you just snoozed away on my shoulder."

She runs a frustrated hand through her hair, "What year is it, Dean?"

"2017," He replies. "Wait, so you know all of that- you know my name- because you heard-

Her jaw tightens as the year sinks in. Then she looks up at him, "I heard you."

"You-" Dean cuts himself off and groans. "You heard . . . everything?"

"Almost."

Dean looks moderately horrified as Elena stumbles toward the door with great determination, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Legs still wobbly, she trips and Dean rushes forward to catch her.

She lands in his arms and he instantly shivers at the jolt he receives from the contact with her skin. He quickly let's go of her, causing her to fall back to the floor.

"Gee, thanks. You're a real gentleman," Elena says, wearily standing back up and rubbing the hip on which she'd landed. "And dammit my head hurts!"

"Okay, Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do," Dean says, only slightly sorry.

"No, Ricky,  _you_ have some explaining to do."

"You first," Dean says, feeling like a five-year-old.

Elena rolls her eyes, "Why did you dig me up?"

"Why were you buried in the first place?"

"You know what, I don't have time for this. Where's your phone-"

"Nuh-uh, you're not contacting any of your witchy friends until you tell me what's going on."

She scoffs, "My 'witchy' friends? Look, I just need to check if they're okay." She makes her way towards the door.

He moves to stand in her way, arm barring the door, " _Explain first_."

She frowns, staring at him for a good two minutes before caving, "Fine. A witch put put spell on me and my friend. I stay asleep as long as she's alive. I'm not getting into the ugly details right now so-"

"Okay, but what about the cure?"

She rolls her eyes, "Well if that's all you cared about you could've just asked-"

Dean glares at her, "Just answer the question, sweetheart."

Elena sighs and says reluctantly, "I drank all of it. I'm sorry, I know you needed it for your brother."

But Dean had stopped listening and already left the room, and Elena hurries to follow close behind as he yells, "Cas!"

"Dean?" Cas comes running down the hall. "Is everything okay- oh, she's awake." His eyebrows raise in shock. "I didn't really expect that to work."

"Well, it did," Dean says grumpily, "And there is no more cure. She drank all of it." His green eyes shoot her an accusatory look.

"So you were a vampire," Cas says, looking at Elena curiously. "That makes sense now."

"Okay, I know you guys are upset, but I can help you find another cure," Elena says. "I just need you to take me home. There are people that can help you there."

"What? No way," Dean shakes his head. "You're gonna lead us straight into a trap or something."

"Why would I do that?"

"You were a vampire. I'm guessing your little boyfriend was too, and we all know how trustworthy vampires are-"

"Dean!" Cas says, shutting him up. Dean scowls. Cas turns to Elena saying, "We have an agreement. We'll take you home if you find a cure."

Elena grins at him, "Okay. Sounds good to me."

* * *

 

Dean was much . . . more than she expected.

More tough, more determined, more strong. Elena couldn't see it when she was comatose, but he walks around as if something were pulling him down. As if there was always something weighing on his shoulders.

And he looks at her with quick eyes, never lingering. She doesn't have to wonder why, she feels it too. The insistent buzz pushing against their skin every time they near each other.

But that's something she'd rather not think about right now.

His kiss woke her up and maybe it was him who pulled her from her nightmares. He doesn't even realize what he's done.  _She_ doesn't even realize what he's done. She needs to ask Bonnie about this.

 _Bonnie_ , she thinks as she follows Dean and Cas down the hall.  _But w_ _hat_ _if it_ _wasn't_ _the kiss that woke her up? What if Bonnie did die?_

"Hey, is that the girl Cas was talking about?" A voice calls from a room as they pass and she quickly squashes down the panic rising to her throat at the thought that her best friend might be dead.

Elena peers through the window in the door. A tired, weary looking man sits with his head tilted towards them.

"Elena, this is my brother," Dean says.

"Right, Sam," she nods.

"How the hell-"

"You  _told_ me, Dean, remember?"

"For God's sakes."

"Just how much did you tell this girl while she was asleep, Dean?" Cas asks as Sam takes a deep breath and cranes his neck to look at them.

"I thought she was asleep!"

"Hi, Sam," Elena says with a smile.

"Stay away from the door, would you?" Dean says as she peeks into the window.

But Sam had already stood up and approached, eyes tired but alight. "So you're the sleeping girl. I guess Dean's kiss worked." He smiles widely, surprising everyone, "That means you loooooove her," Sam sings, causing Dean to scowl.

He crosses his arms, "No. It means I cared about getting the cure enough that I wanted her awake. I  _loved_  the idea of her being awake. See, there's a difference."

"Look, we can get answers as soon as we get to Mystic Falls," Elena says. She vaguely senses Sam lean closer to the door, breathing in deeply. "My friend Bonnie should be able to help."

"Okay, fine, whatever," Dean turns to Cas, "Are you staying with Sammy?"

"Wait," Sam says. "I'm coming with you."

Dean let's out a sharp laugh, "I don't think so, man."

"I'm serious, Dean. Take me with you, I need to get out of here."

"We can't risk it, Sam."

Sam's voice rises slightly, "You and Cas will be there! You can stop me from hurting anyone. Please, I think I'm going insane in here." He breathes out a sigh, "Besides, I feel the transition passing. I'm not in so much pain anymore."

Cas and Dean look at each other skeptically and Elena can feel Sam's eyes on her.

"Okay fine," Dean says. "But you sit in the front seat with me and you carry blood bags to keep your appetite down."

Cas unlocks the door slowly and Sam steps out with smile on his face. "And hey, if the cure thing doesn't work out I might get the hang of this vampire thing."

"God, I hope not," Dean grumbles.

Elena laughs, "I can give you some pointers."

"That'd be nice," Sam says.

"Now that that's settled," Elena says. "Before we leave can we get some food? I haven't eaten in two years."

* * *

 

When they arrive at the diner, Elena immediately makes a beeline to the counter, snatching up a menu and disappearing behind it.

"Look at that girl go," Dean says, eyeing her as he, Sam, and Cas sit down at a booth. He counts about twelve people scattered about the restaurant.

Sam shifts uncomfortably, "Wow. I can really smell  _everything_." His tense eyes flit from person to person.

"Hey, if you want to go home, we'll go home."

Cas nods, "I can stay with Elena and Dean can take you home."

"No," Sam says, swallowing. "I need to do this." He looks at both of them, "Just make sure I don't lose it, okay?"

Dean nods, giving his brother firm pat on the back, "We wouldn't leave you, Sammy."

Sam smiles back at him gratefully.

"It helps if you take less breaths," Elena says, now having left the counter and joined them. Dean winces as she slides into the seat next to him and across from Sam and Cas. "And blood bags will be your best friend-"

"Hey, no one asked you," Dean says with irritation.

"I can't say anything unless someone asks me to?"

"No, you can't."

"Dean, she's just trying to help," Sam says, offering Elena a smile. "Thank you, Elena." Dean catches a flicker of relief in his brother's face as Sam leans slightly closer to her.

Dean narrows his eyes at him just as a waitress swoops in, dropping off several plates filled with delicious looking food.

"Where the hell did this come from?" Dean asks.

The waitress gestures to Elena, "She ordered it."

Elena grins at her happily, "Thank you." Dean's never seen anyone this excited to eat food.

"Thanks Elena," Cas says, grabbing the burger in front of him. Sam nods his agreement as he leans away from the waitress.

Dean eyes the burger in front of him suspiciously.

"Oh, just eat it, Dean," Elena says, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what this is."

"It's a bacon burger," Elena says, "You love those."

"How would you know?"

"Because you ate two on our little road trip together, and seriously debated having a third."

"I feel violated."

"You talked to me. I had no control of it."

"I thought you were asleep."

"Still your fault."

"Eat your damn food."

Elena stuffs several fries in her mouth, chomping loudly, "I am."

Sam chuckles at her as Dean says, "Gross."

"You talk with your mouth full all the time, Dean," Cas points out.

"Doesn't mean I want to see it."

"You know what, I'm not letting letting you ruin this for me," Elena says with a quirk of her eyebrow. "I'm moving to the counter."

She hops up, taking her plate with her and walks over to the counter.

Cas watches her as she sits, "Is that what you would call foreplay?"

Dean nearly chokes on his french fry. "W-what're you-"

"I read online that two people that have constant disagreement between them often have tension of a sexual nature-"

"PLEASE STOP TALKING."

"Are you attracted to her, Dean?" Cas asks. "I was watching Star Wars the other day and Hans Solo and Princess Leia tend to-"

"We need to keep you away from the TV."

"Yeah, what's going on with you two?" Sam asks him. "You practically jump out of your skin whenever she's close to you."

"What? No. Nothing's going on."

Sam smirks, looking like his old self. The guy that would tease his brother. "That sure looks like something."

"Well, it isn't."

"Why are you so mean to her?"

"I'm not," Dean glances at Elena, chewing on her sandwich and tapping her foot contentedly against her stool. The waitress approaches her and says something, causing Elena's eyes to light up. She erupts into laughter, snorting and trying in vain to reel it in.

Elena says something back to her and she laughs back. The waitress giggles and returns to work.

"Looks like she's making friends," Sam comments. "She seems really nice, Dean."

He doesn't reply, and picks at his burger.

"What's your problem with her?"

"There's no problem. Damn, can we just drop it?"

Sam puts his hands up in surrender. "Fine. Consider it dropped."

Dean notices Sam swallow as he tries to refocus on his food. His discomfort seems to have intensified tenfold since the conversation had started.

"Sam, are you-"

"I'm fine," he says shortly. He sends Elena a glance like daggers before struggling to finish his veggie burger.

Dean and Cas exchange worried looks. They watch as Sam's eyes flicker between their normal light color and a deep black.

They eat in silence until Elena returns with an empty plate. She slides back in the booth next to Dean, making him stiffen.

"I'm considering ordering another," she says thoughtfully. Her elbow brushes him and he flinches. She ignores it.

Sam laughs heartily, causing both Dean and Cas to jump and stare with extreme confusion at his sudden mood shift.

"You must really be starving," he says.

A corner of Elena's mouth lifts, "I think I'll get a milkshake too."

Sam smiles, "Go for it."

Dean watches his brother carefully for a few moments. Then his eyes slide over to Cas, who seems to notice the strange behavior too and purses his lips. Sam laughs at something Elena says and very inconspicuously inhales and tilts himself closer.

Dean just hopes that they find that damn cure.

 


	4. Eight

Dean doesn't like it.

Ever since they'd left yesterday, Sam's been practically attached to Elena's ass - the two of them skipping around everywhere they go. To the bathroom, to pick up food, to fill up the Impala. Right now they're in the convenience store picking out snacks together.

Together.

As if the task is too challenging for just one person.

But no, Sam had insisted. He'd said that there was no way Elena had the right idea about snacks. And Elena had just smiled as if that were the cutest damn thing anyone had ever said to her.

 _Well, aren't they just the bestest of friends_ -

"Dean," Cas says, deep voice interrupting his inner rant.

Dean blinks and turns to the back seat of the car where Cas is sitting.

"What?" Dean says a little too quickly.

"You're gripping the steering wheel," Cas hesitates before saying, "Very tightly."

Dean looks back at his hands to find his knuckles turning white from squeezing the damn thing so hard. "Oh. I was just-"

"Thinking about Sam?" Cas says, a knowing look in his eyes.

They both peer out the front windshield to watch as Sam and Elena emerge from the gas station convenience-mart. Glimmering on Sam's finger is the ring that Elena had given him a couple hours ago. She'd slid it onto his finger and Sam grinned, inspecting it happily.

"He's acting weird," Dean says. "He's taking this vampire thing a little too well. He's not drinking  _anything._ "

"Isn't that a good thing?"

He shakes his head, "I think it's because of her."

"You think he likes her?"

"I think there's something up with her," he frowns. "She's making us all crazy."

"I feel fine."

"Well, you're an angel. You're probably not affected by all that hoodoo business the same way we are."

Cas stares at him curiously for a moment before he sighs and asks, "Well, how is she affecting you?"

Instead of answering, Dean keeps his intent stare on his brother, eyes darting from him to the mysterious woman next to him.

Cas decides to ask a different question,"Did any of her friends return her calls?"

"No," Dean purses his lips, "They've all been disconnected. A little suspicious if you ask me."

Dean looks up to see Sam peering in their direction with a displeased expression.

"Oh, shit, I forgot he can hear us," Dean mutters.

But Sam's frown turns back into a smile as soon as Elena says something to him, to which he laughs joyously. Joyous at fucking one in the morning.

Good God.

When they get to the car, Elena drops a mini pie into Dean's lap and hands Cas a bag of beef jerky. Then she gets to work opening up a pack of aspirin as Sam climbs back into the passenger seat with a handful of organic treats.

Cas asks, "Are you okay?"

She frees one tablet and throws it into her mouth. "Yeah, I just have a headache." She shoots Dean an accusing look, "Probably a concussion from all those times someone bonked my head on the car ceiling."

Dean's green eyes snap to the rearview mirror to glare at her. She stares back with equal conviction until Sam clears his throat loudly from Dean's right.

"You want a cough drop, Sammy?" Dean asks, eyes moving from the mirror to outside.

Ignoring that, Sam says, "Elena thinks we should head straight for her friend Bonnie's house."

"Oh, does she?" Dean asks no one in particular.

"I do, actually," she says.

Dean raises an eyebrow, "Well then, we'd better do just that."

Elena just looks at him as Sam says, "You don't have to be nasty about it, Dean."

Dean's eyes move from Sam's face to his hand, where that ring stares up at him. "I'm not, Sammy. I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

 

Of course, there are moments, when Sam or Cas aren't with them, that it is almost completely silent. Dean tries to fill it with music most of the time. Other times the tension just sits in the air between them. He eventually just had to get out of the car to escape it.

There are also the moments when Sam and Cas are asleep. Elena understandably never sleeps, which leads to very long periods of silence.

And Dean is okay with this. It's bearable as long as the limits aren't pushed.

But, with Deans luck, it's inevitable.

"I don't think I can stomach this," Sam is saying, sniffing a blood bag distastefully.

"Really?" Elena asks from the back seat, eyebrows raised. "It's not appetizing to you at all?"

Sam shakes his head.

"Huh," she says thoughtfully.

Then the Impala hits an enormous speedbump, causing Sam to jerk the bag and squeeze blood all over the car's interior.

"Great," Elena says, looking down at her dress, which is the same one she'd been wearing since Dean dug her up three days ago. She seems to have received the brunt of the blood as it drenches her entire torso.

Sam, Dean, and Cas fortunately only got a few spatters. Dean doesn't stop himself from laughing heartily. Cas just looks at each of them, thoroughly unamused.

"Oh my - I'm so sorry, Elena," Sam says, eyes wide. Dean continues laughing. When driving becomes too difficult he just pulls over, wiping tears from his eyes. Just the look on all of their faces.

She shakes her head, ignoring Dean, "It's okay. I had to get out of this dress eventually I guess."

"You can take one of my shirts," Sam offers.

"No," she says. "We need to stop at a department store somewhere. There are other things I have to get anyway that aren't at gas stations."

"Oh yeah?" Dean snorts, finally reeling in his laughter.

"Yes, Dean," Elena says, looking irritated at last. "Like my own clothes. Perhaps some feminine products. Ladies underwear-"

"Yeah okay, we get it!" Dean says hurriedly. "We'll get your damn panties."

* * *

 

Dean has no idea how he got stuck being the one having to accompany Elena.

Sam had said something about too many people and Cas said something about being the only one physically capable of controlling Sam if something happened. Although Sam looked childishly grumpy at being separated from Elena, naturally both he and Cas needed to wait in the Impala.

And here Dean is, tailing Elena through the feminine care aisle, dodging both frightened and flirtatious looks from various women.

"How do you think I should explain the blood if someone asks?" Elena says, snatching a box of tampons off of the shelf.

"Uh, I don't know, you had a female accident?" Dean grunts.

One eyebrow lifts, "On my chest?"

He shrugs, "Look, just hurry up okay, this place is giving me cooties."

Elena laughs loudly, sending a current of nerves fluttering through Dean's body and he tries to keep his eyes off of her throat as she tilts her head back slightly.

"Okay, fine," She says. "Let me just grab some clothes and we'll be done."

They make their way to the clothing section. He stands close behind her as she flicks through several shirts hanging on a rack.

"Elena," Dean says into her ear, unintentionally sending a warm breath tingling down her neck. She stiffens and swallows before she turns to look at him. He calmly looks directly into her eyes, "Those women over there are looking suspicious."

Elena glances over her shoulder to where he was gesturing. Just like he'd said, she finds two women whispering with their fingers and eyes directed at him and Elena.

She sighs. "I told you about the blood."

Dean's eyes glint, "Yeah, and you also suggested that you walk around in your underwear. Like  _that_  would attract less attention."

"It would attract less attention than a giant spot of blood!"

"I'd beg to differ, darling. Have you looked in a mirror?"

Elena blushes at that and he can't help but smile.

Dean catches several words as one of the whispering ladies calls over a store employee. At this point they look even more worked up.

Quickly, Elena takes a t-shirt and jeans and grabs his arm, pulling him aggressively through the aisles.

She shoves him into a changing room and shuts the door.

"It's a little tight in here don't you think?" Dean says. She rolls her eyes and glances in the mirror behind him.

"Ugh, it does look bad doesn't it?" She wrinkles her nose at the large, angry, red splotch against the beautiful purple fabric. "It's no wonder-"

"Shhh!" Dean presses a finger to his lips.

"Where'd they go?" He hears voices murmur outside the door. After a few seconds the voice says, "Okay, we're calling backup."

"Seriously, they're calling backup?" Elena hisses. "We're just trying to get lady stuff."

"Quick, change your clothes," Dean says, "We're gonna have to make a run for it."

She nods, unzipping her dress, which is a sight Dean is wholly unprepared for.

Because damn.

For a girl that spent two years in a coffin she looks-

"Stop staring," She snaps, ripping off the soiled fabric. She nearly snacks him in the face trying to untangle herself from the straps.

Her black underwear is simple but revealing, making Dean squirm. He feels that annoying, determined thing again. The thing that makes him feel as if his body is losing all control. The thing that he feels whenever their skin touches.

She is a witch. She has to be. Or she's something dangerous.

As if confirming his suspicions, she accidentally stumbles and presses her body against him while pulling on her jeans. His hand instinctively takes her waist.

His palm against her skin feels like electrical charges firing. He feels everything all at once. He immediately let's go and she clears her throat awkwardly, changing with even more haste.

Later, as they're sneaking out of the store Dean can't help but wonder about all the things he still doesn't know about her. About how they're blindly trusting her with Sam's life.

He can't afford any more touching.

* * *

 

He pays close attention to her, even when he's driving. He has to watch it though, because she catches him staring sometimes. He looks away quickly enough to pass it off as a mere glance, but it's happened too often already.

And he can't help it.

He doesn't know how, but there is something about her that bothers him.

After almost three hours of careful observation, he learns that she is very talented at hiding her feelings. Or rather, picking and choosing which of her emotions to let loose and which ones to restrain. Dean sees bright, carefree smiles on her face often, but when a friend or family member is mentioned, that smile suddenly hardens as if she's determined to keep it on her face.

Other times he sees a deep pain in her eyes. It's almost too distant to catch but it's there, lingering within her bright irises. Those eyes are too conflicted at times, when she thinks no one is looking.

After hours of driving, Dean isn't surprised when he eventually gets tangled in her gaze as she suddenly turns to look at him through the rearview mirror. Neither of them look away and that insistent clenching within his chest starts again.

"Dean, look out!" Sam shouts.

He rips his eyes away from her just in time to jerk the steering wheel, avoiding a person crossing the street. The Impala's tires protest loudly and the vehicle screeches off of the road and smashes into a sign with Dean's foot planted firmly on the brakes.

"Son of a bitch!" He tears off his seat belt. He glances back, making sure that all three of his passengers are okay before he leaps out of the car muttering, "Baby, are you okay?"

He inspects the damage, running a hand along her midnight black hood and sighing in relief when he finds nothing but a miniature dent.

Cas, Sam, and Elena get out of the car and Elena let's out a small laugh, "Hey, look we made it."

Dean glances up at the sign that reads, " _Welcome to Mystic Falls"._

The four of them turn just in time to see the pedestrian they'd just swerved away from running towards them.

"Oh my God, are you guys okay?!" He calls. He's covered in sweat and he holds a set of headphones in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

"We're fine," Sam says, looking wary of him and stepping almost imperceptibly closer to Elena, who moves to shield him. This doesn't go unnoticed by Dean and Cas.

The stranger stops in front of them, "Are you sure, because I can call an ambulance or-"

"Dude, we're okay," Dean says, still recovering from his minor panic attack, his hand resting protectively atop his baby.

But the man is suddenly frozen, mouth agape as he stutters, "W-what- you- how-"

Dean follows his line of sight to Elena, who looks uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot. Sam frowns and Castiel looks as if he's trying to solve a challenging math equation.

"Do you know him?" Dean asks Elena. All four men turn to stare at her.

She shrugs, "No, I don't think so."

"I'm sorry," the man says, shaking his head. "You just look so much like that dead girl. The one that was in the news a while back."

Elena puts a smile on her face, "No kidding."

"Yeah. She's like this legend in our town. Her whole family is, really. One of those Halloween stories to tell the kids, you know?" He laughs it off, "Well, I'm just glad you guys are okay."

The man leaves, sending an apologetic smile over his shoulder.

"Who the hell crosses the road like that?" Dean demands when he's out of earshot.

"Most people cross the road at some point in their life, Dean," Elena says.

"Nuh uh, don't you get snippy with me, this was your fault!"

"Dean!" Sam warns as Cas sighs and rubs his forehead.

She scoffs, "My fault? How is this-"

"DAMNIT, STOP MAKING GOOGLY EYES AT ME WHEN I'M DRIVING!"

"Really? That's what the problem was, my googly eyes?" Elena asks, temper clearly rising. "And who even says 'googly'?"

"I do! I say googly, and I think you're hiding something-"

"Dean, please, let's just go," Sam moves towards him.

"Look, Sam, you're not yourself right now," Dean says, "So you're not calling the shots."

"Dean, for the last time, I'm fine!"

"No, you're not!" He says, "Sammy, I told you before, I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you. Not anymore."

"You can't protect me, Dean. Not from everything. And you need to stop blaming yourself for this happening to me," Sam says. Realization colors Elena's face and her expression softens as he continues, "I'm fine, Dean. How many times do I have to say it?"

Dean groans loudly, "Cas, tell him," he says. "You've been thinking it too."

Cas hesitates before admitting, "I agree with him, Sam, you have been acting strangely."

"Strange?" Sam asks incredulously. "Since when have any of us not been strange?"

"You know what I mean, Sam."

"I'm trying to adjust, okay? That's it."

Then Elena, with those damn conflicted eyes, says softly, "Dean, I-"

"I'm talking to my brother right now," Dean snaps at her.

Her face flares with frustration just as Sam leaps to her defense, "Hey, don't talk to her like that, she didn't do anything wrong."

"I don't know her. I don't trust her."

"Dean, I swear to-"

"What do I need to do to get you to trust me, Dean?" Elena interrupts.

He looks directly at her, "Tell me what you've done to Sam."

"I haven't done anything to Sam."

"Explain why he's so attached to you."

Elena rolls her eyes, "I like his company. He's nice to me."

"That's not what I was asking."

"Fine, Dean,  _I'll_  tell you," Sam says forcefully, cutting Elena off before she can get a word in, "Before I met Elena, I was hungry. All the time. The thirst was excruciating. Every time I inhaled I felt a burn in my stomach. I was  _starving_ , Dean. It's almost all I could think about. The only thing that kept me going was the little thought that I didn't want to kill you or Cas."

He breathes out heavily, passing a hand through his hair. "When you brought Elena in I felt different. I didn't want to kill her."

"That doesn't make any sense," Dean says.

"That's the truth."

Dean's eyes land on the ring on Sam's finger, "And what the hell is that?"

Elena says, "It's a daylight ring, Dean. It helps so he doesn't burn in the sunlight."

Dean scowls. "For the last time, I wasn't asking you."

"Okay, why are you so against me?" Elena pleads, coming closer to him. He takes a step back. "You took me out of that coffin for a reason-"

"For Sam."

"And now you won't let me help you," She says. "You're being an asshole."

But the way she says it doesn't have the sharpness of an accusation, which causes Dean's temper to simmer. The look of sadness on her face slaps him like a splash of cold water against his rage.

Guilt immediately overcomes him for dumping all of his anger at himself onto her. He's the one who jumped out of the way when that vampire was running at him. He is the reason Sam is suffering.

And Elena seems to be the reason that suffering has stopped.

Dean calms for a moment but Sam's temper begins to rise, "Look, I'm sorry that you feel bad, but you need to grow up. This happened, Dean, and we may or may not find this cure. You need to accept the fact that I might stay a vampire." He lifts his hand to show his new ring, agitation bringing the corners of his mouth down. "You know what? I'll prove this ring is for real."

Dean shakes his head, "No, Sam, I didn't mean to-"

"The sun's still shining," Sam says, pulling off the band. "Perfect."

"Sam, don't!" Elena warns.

But the sun keeps shining as it glares on the horizon. The light continues to spill over, illuminating all four of them and glinting off of the ring as Sam drops it to the ground.

Dean, Cas, and Elena stare at him, anticipating.

Seconds pass and nothing happens.

Shocked, Sam turns to face the sun full on. The warm light envelops him without consequence.

Elena's mouth hangs open, "How?"

Dean stoops to pick up the ring and examines it. He watches as Sam's eyebrows lower in confusion.

"How is that possible? He's not burning . . . and he feels no bloodlust," Cas, who had been silent until now, asks. Then his eyes light up, "Oh."

"Oh?" Dean looks from Sam to Elena to Cas, "Oh, what?"

Elena looks at Cas, then her eyes widen as realization hits her, "Oh, shit."

Sam looks at Elena with a newfound amazement, then turns to Dean, "You were right, Dean."

"What?" He replies, glancing from person to person desperately, "What was I right about?"

Elena's eyes meet Dean's as she says, "There really is something wrong with me."

Dean opens his mouth to demand an explanation just as he feels a sharp pinch in his neck. He reaches up to feel it and his fingers collide with a dart.

"What the-"

Another dart flies and sinks into his flesh. He sees Cas go down followed by Elena. Sam shouts something incoherently.

Slowly his vision blurs and he hears Elena scream.


	5. Seven

The thing about being Elena Gilbert is that it's impossible to stay awake due to the high probability that she'll be hit in the head and knocked out at some point.

And man did she want to stay awake.

Sleep was the last thing she wanted.

She feels the sharp pain in the back of her skull. She's frozen, limbs locked at her sides.

"Hey, you're back," a voice says in mock joy. "Just when I was missing you."

Elena wheezes, feeling like thick air is sliding through her lungs, "No. No, I can't be back here."

"It's almost like you never left, honey," Kai says sweetly. "Well, who am I kidding, I was really lonely in here. Your mind is a dark place, Elena, did Damon know that?"

Her vision clears and she sees him, standing over her with that same look in his eyes. The one that says  _Stay With Me_. She notices that his shirt is covered in blood as his lips turn into a smile, "You shouldn't be ashamed of that. I like a girl with some edge."

She groans, rubbing her eyes. "Why do I keep dreaming about you?"

"Well," Kai says, "It's possible that you're in love with me." He smiles and nods matter-of-factly.

"I'm not kidding."

"Neither am I."

"Just tell me why you're in my head!" She hates him. She hates that he - the one who started this - is the person that she sees when her eyes close.

"Hey, there's no reason to yell. I'm right in front of you."

"Yeah, and I could do without that," Elena says, flapping her hand in a gesture for him to give her some space. Instead of doing that, he flops down to lie next to her.

She squirms away from him and looks up and around, "Where are we?"

"You tell me. This is where you took me."

Elena huffs. She takes in open sky and the lumpy surface beneath her.

"We're on the roof of my old house," she says. "Why would I take you here?"

Kai doesn't answer. He just grins and turns to face the sky above them. "Look there."

Elena sees the blue sky paint itself orange. Deep reds and yellows overwhelm her vision as the sun rapidly sets. Her eyes catch explosions of color across the sky. Purples, pinks, and greens.

"What's happening?" She asks, forgetting for a moment who she's talking to. "It's beautiful."

"Aren't you just full of yourself?" Kai says, smirking. He nods towards the expressive sky, "That's all you up there."

Every shade and tint flash above them. "I don't understand."

"Why do you think Sam wants to be around you, Elena?"

"I - am I the cure?"

"It's in your blood. Everything you see here - me, this house, the sky - it's you. We're inside your head."

She turns to look at Kai, the vibrant lights casting down on them. He looks less menacing now, but somehow she feels as if that's wrong. "I don't think I trust my head at the moment."

He sighs dramatically. "Ah, yes. The battle between the head and the heart. A tale as old as time. And can I just say that talking about this kind of philosophy to you again makes me feel  _so_ alive?"

"You're dead," she says shortly, "Now let me wake up."

And he just smiles at her as if she were a belligerent puppy, "That's not up to me."

"Then who's it up to?" She asks, irritation pinching at her.

He shrugs, "You."

* * *

 

When her eyes open she finds herself on her back being dragged by her feet across sharp gravel. Her shirt is ripped and pointed rocks scratch at the skin of her back. All she sees is morning sky being obscured by thick tree branches waving in the summer breeze. Birds sing in delight.

Elena makes a sound of protest and looks at the person pulling at her. Judging by the back of his head and his build it's a man with a dark head of hair.

She winces as her head scrapes against a rugged stone.

"Hey, watch it!" She hears Dean's slurred voice shout. "She's already bleeding!"

_I'm bleeding?_

Then she feels it.

The wet, warmth at the back of her head where this person had struck her earlier. She hadn't gotten a good look at him when she'd blacked out.

"Ouch!" She snaps as whoever it is yanks her legs harder.

"Oh quiet, darling, you'll be fine."

Elena's eyes widen, the familiar English monotone is easy to recognize, "Enzo?"

He lets go of her and her feet drop to the ground with a thud. Her hand quickly goes to her head to stop the bleeding while Enzo turns to kneel over her.

His ironic smirk looks the same as it had two years ago. "It's nice to see you again, Elena."

"You know this guy?" Dean asks. Elena sees him, Sam, and Cas tied to a tree out of the corner of her eye. Dean still looks slightly out of it.

"We weren't what you'd call friends," Elena says, sitting up. She sighs and says to Enzo, "You could've carried me."

"I could have but then you wouldn't have been all bloody and nice for my friends."

_Friends?_

Realization dawns and Elena groans, "You've got to be kidding me. The heretics? You're still at Lily's beck and call?"

"If you're asking if I'm still loyal to her, then the answer is yes," Enzo stands and looks down at her carefully.

"So you're saying that you're this Lily chick's bitch," Dean butts in, looking as if any drugs he'd been given are wearing off. Dean gives Elena a quick wink, which throws her off so much that she ends up just gawking at him. Just moments ago he was yelling about her googly eyes and now he's backing her up?

Enzo steps away from Elena and moves to stand in front of Sam, Dean, and Cas, with Dean being the only one of the three who is currently conscious.

"You're a fiesty one aren't you?" Enzo grins. "I appreciate the fiesty ones."

Dean makes a disgusted face, "Ugh, blech. That sounds like such a porno line."

"What are you doing with us, Enzo?" Elena asks, giving Dean an impatient look.

"Well, to be completely honest my dear, there aren't all that many humans left in this pathetic little town," he replies, turning back to her after giving Dean one last appraising glance. "But Lily said this would be our home. So they made it home."

"Cozy," Dean grumbles, fidgeting with his bindings.

"What? What happened to all the humans?" Elena demands, feeling the blood drain from her face and nasty chills claw up her spine.

"My friends were-" he laughs slightly, "-a bit hungry when they got back from their prison."

Elena is struck dumb. "So," she says slowly, "You're saying that everyone - all the humans - are-"

"Dead." Enzo glances about the forest expectantly, as if waiting for someone. "It was an unfortunate accident really."

"Accident?" Elena says, "You accidentally let them eat the entire town?!"

"Whoa, down girl," he chuckles, "Don't worry, your human friends are alive. They all left town when they realized they were doomed."

She feels only minor relief at that, "What about Damon? Where is he?"

There is a flash of insane anger in Enzo's eyes before he says calmly, "He's gone too."

Elena purses her lips, "Okay, well how about Bonnie?"

"Ah, it's funny you should mention her," Enzo says, jaw tight. "And you can ask Lily all about her when she gets here."

Elena looks at Dean, whose eyebrows lower. He glances at her with uncertainty just as they hear footsteps grow closer to them from within the forest.

"Elena," a voice calls, clear and rigid. It sends goosebumps across her skin. "When I heard you were here I almost didn't believe it."

Elena swallows before Lily enters her field of vision. Her hair is a brilliant scarlett-brown and her eyes shine. Elena raises her gaze to look at her, "What happened here, Lily? Why would you do this - these are innocent people-"

"My family needed blood, Elena," the woman says, her cold eyes wide, as if truly empathetic. But Elena sees it. The fakeness hiding just around her irises. "They were starving."

"What about your sons? Aren't they your family too, or does blood mean nothing?"

"Blood means everything," Lily says, her pretty lips curving into a forced smile. "Stefan and Damon chose their path, and it didn't include me." She kneels so she's looking at Elena face to face.

Her body leans closer and Elena cringes. Lily takes a deep breath and then pulls away with shocked eyes.

"Wayne wasn't kidding," she whispers, her long fingers hooking onto Elena's arms. "Your blood is . . . powerful."

"What do you mean? What's going on?" Dean asks loudly. "Dammit, will someone answer my questions?"

But she doesn't answer. Instead her intense stare never wavers as she says to Enzo, "We're taking her. Tell Wayne they can have the other three."

"Whoa, whoa wait!" Elena shouts as Enzo's hands close around a bunch of her hair. "No, don't hurt them! Enzo, please!"

Enzo doesn't seem to hear her. He whistles, summoning Wayne , who appears next to him seconds later. Elena recognizes him as the man who'd jogged right in front of the Impala earlier. He moves towards Sam, Dean, and Cas.

"Elena," Dean's voice cuts through everything and she turns to him, straining against Enzo's grip. He doesn't say a word, but he doesn't need to. If she'd learned anything from the past twenty-four hours of eye war with this guy, it'd be how to read him.

This look said, "It's okay. I got this."

* * *

 

Dean almost loses it when he sees that British son of a bitch yank Elena by the hair and through the woods. The only comfort he has is the look on that vampire chick's face when she smelled Elena. She looked in complete awe.

She won't hurt Elena for now at least. Dean's sure of that.

Now he just needs to wake up Sam and Cas before Wayne here decides it's time for lunch.

"Took five darts to take this sucker down," Wayne gestures to the slumbering Cas while he types on his cell phone. "I wasn't sure what he was, but he sure bleeds like a human. The tall one was easy though. Once we realized he was a vamp we just shot him up with good old vervain."

Wayne continues texting, eyes never leaving the screen. "But damn, I took one whiff of that Gilbert girl and I nearly had a heart attack. I've never met her before, but I've heard some things."

Dean finally feels the rope around his wrists give. "A heart attack?"

He slowly begins working on the knot around Sam's wrists.

Wayne glances up shortly before returning to the screen. "I felt my age weighing on me - these smart phones are fantastic, by the way."

Dean finishes undoing Sam's knot and moves on to Cas.

"- makes everything so much quicker," Wayne is saying, "Now my friends know that I've caught some fresh blood, and I didn't have to go all the way to their houses to tell them. Group text. Amazing."

"You're going to eat all three of us?" Dean asks. He stops himself from smiling when he feels Cas stir next to him.

"Yes. The vampire might not be as tasty, but we'll take what we can get."

_Dammit Sam, wake up before the others get here._

But Cas wakes up first, voice confused and dazed, "Dean?"

Wayne ignores them and calls out, "Hey Roger, is that you?"

Dean hears rustling amongst the trees and nudges the men on either side of him roughly.  _WakeupWakeupWakeup._ His heart hammers as about four vampires emerge from the forest.

Cas groans and Dean feels a wave of relief.

"Come on, Cas, wake up."

His baby blues pop open and he grins goofily, "Deeeeaaaan." A small chortle escapes his mouth, "I - I feel funny."

"You have got to be freaking kidding me," Dean says, staring at the angel's dopey expression. "Cas, you need to zap us somewhere right now."

"You're pretty," he says, nodding vigorously. "You're pretty, Elena's pretty, Sam's pretty. Everyone's pretty-"

Dean grits his teeth and turns to try to wake Sam. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Wayne laughing about something with his friends.

Finally, Sam takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. Instantly, his face contorts into an expression of agony.

"Aaaggh," He groans, writhing against him. "Dean, where's Elena? Please, I need-"

"Elena's okay for now," Dean whispers, "But we have to get out of here first-"

"Dean's ear looks like a swirly," Cas says. Dean feels him sway slightly until his head lands on Dean's shoulder, "Swirly, wirly."

"Dean, I need to get away from you right now," Sam says, voice tight. Dean curses when he sees his eyes turn completely black with veins stemming from them.

"-I like the taste of air." Cas, meanwhile, chuckles loudly with his mouth open wide, "Numnumnumnumm-"

Sam is breathing heavily now, "We need to get to Elena right now or I might kill someone." The sun peers down at them through thick tree branches. Thin streams of light hit him, burning any uncovered skin.

Dean sighs is frustration, having had just about enough of Sam's Elena nonsense. He rips at the rope as inconspicuously as he possibly can, "Alright, there's no way I'm taking those vamps alone, so I really need you two to get your shit together-"

" _Two to_ ," Cas says, chortling. "Tootoo. TOOTOO-"

Unfortunately, this is what finally catches their captors' attention.

Dean shushes him, knowing that they are in no way equipped to fight five vampires. But it's too late.

"Oi!" The one that Wayne had called Roger shouts. "Is this it?" He wrinkles his nose slightly in disappointment.

"I'm sure they're quite meaty, look at their muscles," Wayne gives Sam a hard poke in the arm. Sam scowls and his teeth bare. Cas' eyes, meanwhile, flutter closed as he passes out once again.

"Sam," Dean warns. But of course any influence Dean might have had over his brother is completely erased and replaced by bloodlust.

Sam rips out of his bindings and lunges too fast for Dean to see. He hears snarls and vicious cries.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the five vampires are flung back against the trees.

Dean looks at Sam, who appears just as confused before he clutches himself in pain. The blackness of his eyes hasn't subsided as he moves to crouch next to a thick tree, sheltered from the sun.

The other vampires struggle against some kind of invisible restraint.

"What-"

"Don't go near them," a voice orders. Dean turns, finding a young woman stepping through the trees and towards Sam. She has dark hair and a hard expression on her face. He realizes that she must be a witch.

"Uh, I wouldn't do that, lady," Dean immediately says, eyeing Sam.

She doesn't respond and moves to crouch in front of him, who's breathing becomes painfully labored the closer she gets.

Dean watches as Sam's black eyes meet hers with difficulty, mouth in a worried frown.

The woman looks him straight in the eyes and says, "I'm going to tell you right now that I hate vampires." She pauses to consider him a moment longer, then says, "But I can see how hard you're trying not to kill me right now, so I'm going to help you."

Sam releases a shaky breath. "How?"

"I'll help get some blood for you. There's hardly anything here anymore because those animals ate everything," she gestures to the still struggling vampires. "Then I'll get you a daylight ring."

"Wait," Dean says, suddenly remembering, "I have your ring."

He warily takes it out of his pocket. Aware that his proximity will be causing Sam more pain, he tosses it to him and he catches it.

The woman snatches it from him, "Where did you get this?"

"A friend gave it to me," Sam replies in irritation, "Now give it back-"

"But there's no way you could've stolen it," she mutters to herself, "Did you? Did you steal it?" She demands, her tone sharp.

"What? No."

" _I_ made this ring for my friend. There's no way you could've gotten this."

"Friend? I thought you hated vampires," Dean says, stepping closer to them protectively lest she turn violent. "He got it from a friend."

"That's impossible, it was buried with her. She's underground."

Dean whistles, "Wow. What kind of friend are you if you didn't even notice your friend isn't in her grave anymore?"

Her eyes widen in shock. "What did you do?"

"I woke her up."

"No. No, that's not possible-"

"Clearly it is."

"No, it isn't. I put a spell on her damn coffin! I made sure no one could touch her,  _I_ _made_ _sure-_ "

Sam and Dean exchange glances before Dean says, "What kind of spell?"

* * *

 

Enzo is the type of person that says things with such a straight face that it's difficult to distinguish a serious statement from a joke. For example:

"I've missed you, Elena," he says in a flat tone. "Really, I have."

Elena just shakes her head as he shoves her forward, leading her through the darkening woods. "We hardly know each other," she says, resisting the urge to cringe away from his forceful touch.

"Oh, I don't miss  _your_  company," he clarifies, "I missed Damon when he was with you. When he wasn't all irritable and depressed."

"Is he okay?" She asks. If there was anything at all that Elena might have trusted Enzo with, it would be Damon.

Enzo doesn't look at her, nor does he answer her question. Instead he says, "So Lily thinks your just a goddamn treasure. She wants to keep you."

She snorts, "Am I getting a new mommy?"

Silence surrounds them as her joke falls flat.

"Now I'm curious," he then says dispassionately. "As far as I knew, Bonnie couldn't find a single loophole in that nasty curse of yours and all of a sudden you're up and about with three hunters no less."

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"You're a special girl, Elena Gilbert, I'll give you that."

Elena presses her lips into a tight line, his words echoing eerily what Kai had said to her in her nightmares.

"If you hurt those hunters I'll kill you," she says.

Enzo looks at her with raised eyebrows, "Well, well," he laughs, "Damon's sweet and loving girlfriend is giving me a death threat. Who would've thought?"

"Is that all I am? Damon's girlfriend?"

"To me it is." He tugs her back. "Stop here."

They're in the middle of a wide gravel pathway with trees lining the sides. She recognizes the road and where it leads immediately.

"The boarding house?" She asks.

"I assumed you'd rather stay there."

Elena is about to question him again when in the distance she hears a faint voice. Her ears strain until she recognizes it. It's Sam screaming.

"Hey!" Enzo shouts as Elena jerks so suddenly that he loses his grip on her and she bolts.

She knew she wouldn't get that far but she had to try.

But to her surprise, she glances back and sees him far behind her. She smirks.  _Oh yeah. No vamp_ _speed_ _around_ _me._

Her hope instantly dissipates when an oncoming car approaches, tires crackling against the sharp rock.

She keeps running, hoping that she's valuable enough for them not to attack her.

The car revs and lurches towards her in warning. "Stop running!" She hears the driver order.

She doesn't. She feels pathetic, but can't help herself and picks up a rock and hurtles it against the car windshield. It scrapes the glass then bounces off unimpressively as she keeps running.

The car hums and accelerates.

"Stop or we will hurt you," the unfamiliar driver shouts out the window.

But she can't get get the thought of Dean, Sam,or Cas getting hurt out of her mind. And all because she led them here.

She sense the car dangerously close to her, the nose nearly bumping her legs. Her body burns as she pushes herself faster, increasing the distance between them.

This time the car doesn't hesitate. It speeds up violently and crashes into her. Her knees buckle and it sends her to the ground.

 _God, I bleed so easily,_ she thinks as her legs begin to sting and throb. She dares to look down and finds one broken and set at a disgusting angle.

She groans just as the driver steps out of the vehicle and Enzo catches up to them. The two men stare down at her.

"I don't know of that was admirable or stupid," Enzo says.

"Ughhh," Elena bites her bottom lip in pain.

"It's your own fault, love," he says.

The other man pulls something out of his pocket. It looks like a syringe.

He squats down and she feels a pinch as he sticks her with the needle.

"Did you see the look on her face?" he asks Enzo as her eyes struggle to stay open. "She looked ready to kill someone."

"Perhaps she's grown attached to those hunters," Enzo says. "It's a shame . . . they're probably dead by now."

Then, for the second freaking time today, Elena blacks out with just one memory pushing itself to the forefront of her mind.

Her lips pressing against a hard, stubbled face. She remembers his breath, and how his tongue touched hers briefly. How his hand held her jaw, thumb pressing into her cheek.

 And she remembers that when her eyes opened for the first time in two years she saw emerald.


	6. Six

 

Now, Sam Winchester has been through some shit - and anyone who knows him can testify to that - but this right here, just plain starvation, is the killer.

He'd been fine just two hours ago with Elena at his side. The vampirism was more than bearable, it was completely erased.

It's a weird thing, starvation. Usually, it builds, slowly, and you can feel it little by little, burning more and more instense with each bite not taken.

But this time it was like a switch. One minute Elena is there and the next she's gone. And with her goes his peace of mind.

His breathing is loud to his ears as he tails behind Dean, who is carrying a barely conscious Cas. The witch leads the way.

Sam's eyes move with difficulty towards her. She's a short girl, with a tough mouth that doesn't want to be messed with. Her small frame is very misleading in Sam's opinion.

"I decided that she should be underground instead of in the crypt," she says as they sneak through the forest. "I wanted them to forget she was even there if they didn't look hard enough. But it makes sense that Elena is the Cure. I can't believe I didn't think of that."

"What happened to you?" Dean asks, grunting as he adjusts Cas' hold on his shoulder. Sam turns his head away in attempt to avoid the smell of their blood. It doesn't help. "What happened to everyone?"

"The heretics were too strong," she says, slapping a branch out of her way. "We didn't stand a chance, so we all had to leave. I did what I could to contain them."

"It seemed like you stood a pretty good chance against them back there," Sam says hoarsely.

She looks back at him, "That's because they were hungry. They'd get their strength back as soon as they got their teeth into a bird or a deer."

"So you trapped them in the town?" Dean asks, confused.

She nods, "And supposedly blocked humans from entering."

"Then your spell's crap because I got in twice."

"That's what I don't understand," She shakes her head, "There's only one person besides me who can cross back and forth over the town border. And he's dead."

"Who was it?"

The witch sighs, sadness pulling the corners of her mouth down. "Damon Salvatore. Elena's . . . boyfriend."

 _Oh, no._  Sam thinks of how tightly Elena was holding onto the hope that her friends are still alive. And if this guy, Damon, is who the witch says he is and he's dead . . . Elena will be crushed.

"I thought he was a vampire."

"He wasn't when he died," she shakes her head forcefully, as if remembering something ugly. "It's a long story. The point is he was the only one who could get across. I designed it that way so that we could someday come in and break the spell."

Sam's head begins to pound.

They reach the border and the Impala is exactly where they'd left it in front of the Mystic Falls sign.

Sam sees a stunned look on Dean's face as he asks, "Then why can I cross the town border? I mean, Cas is an angel and Sam's a vampire but . . ."

The witch looks between them hesitantly, "The only explanation is that you're the one person who can break her spell now that Damon's dead. And clearly, you did if she's awake."

"Okay," Dean says, rearing to ask a question he already knows the answer to. "So the spell is broken by--"

"True love's kiss," she says, "Yes. Lucky you."

* * *

 

This time Kai doesn't waste time.

"Elena," he says. "Look at me."

She turns her face towards him. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Because you'd miss me too damn much." He smiles brightly. "Now, I need to tell you something before you wake up."

She exhales, feeling the familiar fuzziness of sleep. "Fine. I'm all ears."

He leans closer, his eyes a blend of greens, blues, and greys. His crisp hair brushes her forehead, "No matter what, remember me."

Elena's eyebrows lower, "Remember you?"

He just smiles at her, bringing his hand to her face. She flinches, but is too confused to respond. His eyes look distant as he says, "Remember me."

* * *

 

"Ah, she's awake." Enzo's voice rings in her ears. "Lovely."

Sharp, unforgiving pain runs the length her body, her leg taking the brunt of it. She groans.

"Easy, darling. Don't want you to puke."

Elena's eyes flicker towards him angrily and he laughs.

"Look at those eyes," he says deeply, "If only looks could kill."

She tries to sit up, face screwed up in pain with each miniscule movement. Enzo watches in amusement as it takes a good three minutes for her to struggle into a seated position.

"Valiant effort, Elena, I applaud you," Enzo claps. "But that little escape attempt was pretty dumb."

"Never claimed I was a genius," she mutters.

"Unfortunately, our vampire blood can't heal you, so you'll have to do it the old fashioned way."

She glances down at herself, finding a rather half-heartedly thrown together cast around her leg.

Enzo observes her a moment longer, and when he seems relatively sure she won't try anything, he turns away. This is when she has the chance to look around. She's lying on a couch as he heads toward a kitchen just a few feet away.

"Are we at . . . Caroline's house?"

Enzo shrugs, popping open the fridge. "I liked it."

He pulls out a sandwich and scarfs it down. He smiles down at it, "It's been a while since I could fully enjoy food. Thanks for that."

His phone buzzes and he picks up, "Hello . . . no she's fine. She can't go anywhere, her leg's broken . . . Yeah, okay, I'll be there." He hangs up.

"I'll be back soon." He shoots her a wink, then leaves her alone.

* * *

 

"I just don't get this true love bullshit," Dean rubs his face once over. Cas sways slightly at his side. "I've never even met Elena before in my life. Ever."

"Are you sure?" she brushes the hair out of her face. The dead grass crunches under their feet as they stop just in front of the Impala.

"Yes. The first time I saw her was in that coffin," he says with certainty. "This can't be right. It just can't."

The witch sighs, "Look, we can figure all this out later, but first we need to get out of here."

"What about Elena?" Sam asks.

"I'll go back to get her," she says, "But you three need to get out of here."

"We'll help you--"

"No. The farther away you are from here the better. Besides, I need you guys to send a message for me, do you think you can do that?"

Sam and Dean look at each other hesitantly before nodding.

"Go to Whitmore. There's a small house on Thirteenth Street just by the college. You can't miss it, it's the only one that's red." She glances about cautiously, then leans closer to whisper, "I need you to tell the people living there that Elena is awake and that I'll be back with her by tonight."

Dean nods, his mind running a mile a minute.

The girl's no nonsense gaze moves to Sam, "They'll have blood bags for you there."

Dean hesitates, "How will they know to trust us?"

"Tell them . . . that you're the one that woke her up." She nods and moves to go--

"Hey," Sam speaks, stopping her, "Thank you for saving us."

She looks completely surprised, "Oh. You're welcome."

"What's your name?" He asks. "I'm Sam. This is my brother Dean and my friend Cas."

Then, for the first time, she smiles, her entire face softening, "My name's Bonnie."

* * *

 

After leaving Bonnie, it doesn't take long to find the house she was referring to. It is small and red, just as she'd described.

By then Sam is almost too weak to walk and Cas is still heavily drugged, so it takes several minutes for Dean to assist both of them from the car to the front door before he frees one hand and rings the doorbell.

Two seconds pass as Dean stares down a peephole, which he's sure someone on the other side is looking through. The door swings open and a young man with cynical eyes stands before them.

"Can I help you?" He asks. Dean glimpses a long scar that runs diagonally, splitting his otherwise smooth face.

Dean clears his throat, "Um, Bonnie sent us to give you guys a message."

The man narrows his clear blue eyes at him, then at Sam and Cas, who don't look the least bit threatening. "What is it?"

"Elena's awake and I'm the one who woke her up," Dean says carefully, "She went back to get her and should be back by tonight."

The young man freezes, "Elena's . . . awake?"

"Yes."

He runs a hand through his sandy hair, thinking deeply about something unknown to Dean.

Just then, Sam moans loudly.

The man's eyes snap to him, "Please, come in. We have whatever you guys need." He looks at Dean's two companions, "Is anyone injured?"

Dean shakes his head as they step into the house and shut the door behind them. "That one's drugged pretty bad. This one needs blood."

The man nods, "I'll be back."

He flits out of the room with three long strides and disappears into the hallway.

When he returns he's holding two bloodbags and a tube. "Here," he offers it to Sam, who looks at him as if he were a miracle from heaven. He snatches it gratefully.

The man nods at Cas. "You can lay him on the couch in the living room." He gestures for Sam to follow and he helps lift Cas to the couch.

Just as they set him down, Dean hears footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Hey, Matt I've been thinking that we should--" the second man stops just short of reaching the bottom of the staircase and stares at them in surprise.

"Hey," the man with the scar, Matt, says. "Guys, this is Alaric. Alaric, Bonnie sent these guys here."

"Huh."

"Elena's awake," Matt tells him, hope sparking in those cynical eyes.

"That's impossible. Damon's dead."

Matt points to Dean, who shifts uncomfortably, "He woke her up."

Alaric looks from him to Cas to Sam, who is loudly slurping down those blood bags, then back to Dean.

"You . . .  _love_ Elena?" Alaric says, moving all the way down the stairs to meet them. He's wearing plain clothes - a loose t-shirt and jeans - and he smells like bourbon. Up close Dean can see darkness underneath tired eyes.

"Um, well, I just met her a few days ago. She was in her coffin," he says. "I don't know what's up with that spell, but apparently I could wake her up."

Alaric and Matt exchange glances.

"So why did you dig her up?" Alaric crosses his arms over his chest.

"I needed a cure for my brother," Dean gestures to Sam. "We had an incident hunting vampires."

"Hunters?" Matt mutters. "How did Elena get involved with hun--"

The front door flies open in a flurry of blonde and chatter. A young woman clutching a purse and a cell phone breezes through.

"Ugh. I couldn't get him to come over, which is just  _typical_. He can be such a drama queen sometimes, and I know his brother died and everything and he needs time, but we need him here, is that too much to ask--"

The girl stops when she sees the five of them, looking as if her mind is whirring.

She cuts the silence short, "Okay, somebody explain the three male models."

* * *

 

Elena groans to herself. Her leg is throbbing without remorse when she hears a door creak open.

"Damn, you being the cure really has it's advantages 'cause I snuck in here easy," a familiar voice says. "You're like a giant blindspot."

Elena spins around in shock, "Bonnie!" She feels the entire world click back into place.

Her best friend runs, throwing her arms around her. "Ugh, I've missed you so much, Elena."

"What-- how did you get here--"

"I was walking through the woods spying on those jerks," she explains, hovering her hand over Elena's leg. "That's when I heard your hunter friends arguing."

Elena feels a warmth emit from Bonnie's fingers and her leg begins to heat.

"Are they okay?"

"Yes,"she says, "I sent them out of town where the rest of us are staying."

"Thank God," Elena breathes. She laughs lightly, "I'll bet Damon will get along with them just fine."

Bonnie puts her hand down, having healed her leg as much as she could. It still feels sore, but is now completely moveable.

"Um, Elena," she bites her lip, "Damon's not with us."

"Oh," her eyebrows lower a fraction of an inch. "Well, where is he?"

Bonnie takes a deep breath, "He - he's dead, Elena."

"Oh," she says again.

It's uncomfortably freeing to have her worst fears confirmed. That nagging worry is gone. The weight is knocked off of her shoulders. Everything that she's been anticipating and bracing for happened.

Now all that's left is grief.

"Elena?"

She swallows and slides her gaze back to Bonnie.

"I'm so sorry, Elena," she says, "I've tried everything."

"I know, Bonnie," she says, sighing. She pushes those thoughts away for another time. Right now they need to move. Right now she needs to not break down. "And I love you for it. Now how about we get out of here?"

"Right," she takes her by the hand and together they run out of the house.

They're already halfway through the forest when Bonnie stops abruptly and turns to Elena, an alarmed expression on her face.

"What?" Elena says, bringing her limp to a halt.

"Your aura . . ."

"Bonnie, we have to move--"

"No, Elena, there's something dark inside of you. I can feel it."

Elena glances around nervously, seeing only trees and dirt, "What, is it the cure?"

"No, the cure is light. It's something else. Something bad in there," she points to Elena's forehead.

Elena feels a chill run through her. The image of Kai projects itself in her mind.  _Remember me._

Bonnie reaches a hand out hesitantly, the air buzzing around them, before placing it on the side of Elena's face. Then Bonnie's eyes turn black.

* * *

 

When they were finished explaining, Caroline releases a shaky breath, "Well . . . this just became more complicated."

Standing at the opposite end of the room, Matt passes a hand over his scarred face. "So, Elena is the only cure left? Why would the heretics want to keep her alive?"

"To use as a bargaining tool," Alaric suggests. "Or to commit suicide, who knows?"

Caroline hands another blood bag to Sam, who'd just sucked his second one dry. "I need to call Stefan." She smiles at them sadly, "Look, you guys need some rest. You can take the guest room upstairs. Hopefully Bonnie and Elena will be back by the time you wake up."

Dean nods compliantly, but doesn't feel in the mood to rest even a little bit. But Sam looks exhausted so he helps him trudge up the stairs, leaving Cas slumbering on the couch.

As soon as they enter the room, Sam collapses onto the bed. Dean smiles briefly before moving to look out the window.

Such a small, normal looking town. People walking back and forth, minding their own business and completely unaware of the danger just a few miles away.

Dean sighs, his fingers tapping anxiously against his leg. He doesn't know why he's so worried. He's definitely not in love with her like everyone is assuming. He's definitely attracted to her, but he doesn't know about love.

He can't place what he it is about her. There's something hovering in the air between them all the time that he can't quite reach. And the harder he tries to reach for it, the farther it gets.

He shakes his head, "I'm going insane. Girl's making me crazy."

He moves to lie down on the other bed as Sam snores away. As soon as his head hits the pillow, two words enter his brain before quickly evaporating.

_Remember me._


	7. Five

 

When he wakes, there's a man standing above him and he jerks upright.

"Wha--"

"I never thought I'd see you again," the man says. His young face looks tired but he looks at Dean with curiosity. "When Caroline told me what happened I almost couldn't believe it. That you of all people would be the one to break Elena's spell."

Dean stands and gets out of bed, careful to keep a good distance between them, "I don't understand."

"You have met Elena before, Dean. And you've met me too."

"What? I don't--"

"I'm Stefan Salvatore," he says with a sigh. He moves closer and looks him in the eyes, "Don't worry. You'll remember who I am in a minute."

"Look, I don't know you, okay? Now, could you just back up a smidge?"

The man blinks, then repeats, "My name is Stefan Salvatore. You know who I am."

Dean's confusion flutters off of his face. "I . . . " his eyes grow unfocused, "I . . . know who you are."

* * *

 

Inside Elena's head Bonnie sees flashes of Kai's devilish grin. She sees him in nightmare after nightmare.

Bonnie also stumbles upon something. An erased memory, maybe, that's hidden deep below everything . . .

 

* * *

 

_Nine years ago:_

Of course.

Of course the saddest song ever is playing on the radio right now while she drives to a funeral.

She shakes her head angrily, pressing her lips together as the music surrounds her with unrelenting waves of sound.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Elena snaps in a combination of desperate sadness and pure anger. "Damn you Johnny Cash and your beautiful fucking voice--"

* _What have I become?_  
_My sweetest friend,_  
_Everyone I know goes away in the end._  
_And you could have it all-_  
_My empire of dirt._  
_I will let you down._  
_I will make you hurt.*_

She smashes a button, changing the station. She flips through several channels before finally shutting the radio off, deciding that all music hurts.

A painful breath goes through her lungs. The fabric of the black dress she'd put on that morning now feels too hot.

God, everything hurts. Especially her chest. It feels like her heart is struggling to beat. It feels like it shouldn't have to anymore.

Her eyes water from the overwhelming pressure building in her chest. An awful cry comes out of her mouth involuntarily and she tries to smother it.

"Not now," she wipes at her eyes with the back of her hand and feels her earings sway and tap her cheeks. She groans, finding that incredible annoying. "WHY THE HELL DID I CHOOSE THESE FREAKING EARINGS--?"

A car comes out of nowhere and cuts her off, causing her to bump the rear of their car. She sees its brake lights flash in irritation. The driver's hand waves out the window, offering her the one finger that she doesn't need right now.

Her foot kicks the brake pedal hard and her car jerks to a stop.

She pushes her door open with an aggression she didn't know she possessed and her heels stomp over to the car in front of her.

"You'd better hope you didn't dent my baby," the driver's voice calls out. He shoves his door open just as Elena passes by, smacking her hip.

"Ouch!" She hisses, hitting his door so it closes back onto his face. "Are you kidding me?"

"Hey, lady, you hit my car first!" He pushes the door open again and steps out. He's tall and intimidating as he briefly looks down at her with malice before heading towards the rear of his car, checking the damage.

"You cut me off," she says, jaw fixed as he crouches down to inspect the bumper. Her heels click towards him.

"You're lucky my baby's sturdy," the man says, seemingly satisfied as he pats it and stands back up.

"I'm lucky? You're the one who didn't signal!"

"Well, if you'd pay attention to where you were driving, it wouldn't matter."

"Do you need to be such an asshole?"

"I'm not an asshole, sweetheart. Just charming."

Elena is about to snap back but she pauses to calm herself, that pressure firmly pressing down into her heart. Her breaths are uneven, and the man's challenging eyes halt as they take in her clothes and face.

Realization lights up his green eyes and he immediately changes his demeanor from confrontational to hesitant, "Are you . . . headed to the church?"

She swallows. Deep breaths. Deep breaths, "Um, yes." Her eyes move down to her small wristwatch, "And I'm late."

The man watches her silently. She doesn't move from her spot and her eyes seem to be looking far away. After a long pause the man speaks again, "Funeral?"

Elena is pulled out of her thoughts and her eyes land on him once again, "Right. Yes." She clears her throat. "Um, I'm glad your car's okay."

She turns and heads back to her car, feeling strange. She is going to a funeral. Her parents' funeral. This is the first time she'd acknowledged it to herself and it makes her want to either vomit or sob uncontrollably.

"Hey," the man follows her, "Wait."

She can see guilt on his face, which might even be quite handsome if she cared for that at the moment. She doesn't though. "What?"

The early morning sun hits him just right, highlighting the planes of his face. He stoops down to pick one of the flowers growing at the side of the road. It's a small thing. A purple lilac with a nice smell.

"Here," he says, holding it towards her. "For you."

Elena raises her eyebrows, "Why are you--"

"Just take the damn flower."

She sighs, then reaches for it. Her fingers brush his just for a moment and she smiles a small smile. "Thanks, I guess."

He looks a little uncomfortable, "Um, my, uh, parents are dead."

"What?"

"My parents died. So, I just -- sorry. Yeah, that's what I meant to say. Sorry." He blushes slightly. "I mean, I don't know whose funeral you're going to, but I just thought I'd say, you know, that I'm sorry."

"And that your parents are dead?"

"Yeaaaah--"

"And that should make me feel better?

"Um--"

"It doesn't," she says softly. She presses her eyes closed for a second, trying to keep it together.

A hand lands on her shoulder gently. Elena opens her eyes to look at him.

"You can hug me if you want, sweetheart," he says.

She would've hesitated if he looked the least bit creepy. But all she sees in his face is a reflection of her own feelings.

So she presses her face to his shoulder, hands coming up around to hold onto his shoulder blades. He wraps his arms around her, "Don't worry kid. You can be strong and get past this."

"That's nice," she mumbles sarcastically.

"I'm serious," the stranger says. "Find something to keep living for."

Elena already knows what she'd keep living for and that's her brother. Jeremy needs her. He's probably the only reason she hasn't checked out and gone insane already.

The man lets go of her and studies her face with kind eyes, "You're thinking of it right now, aren't you? I can tell."

"Yeah," she says. "He needs me."

"Ugh, don't tell me it's a boyfriend," he wrinkles his nose.

She laughs, the sound oddly full and heartfelt, "No. My brother actually. My little brother."

He man's lips turn up into an ironic smile and says, "Those are always worth living for, aren't they?"

Elena raises her eyebrow at him in question and he shakes his head. He nods toward the road, "Well, you'd better get going."

"Oh!" She says. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hold you up, you're probably headed somewhere yourself."

"It's not your fault," he says, looking offended. "And you didn't hold me."

They stare at each other a moment longer. Then Elena says, "Well . . . bye, Stranger. I'll see you around, I guess?"

A sad smile is on his face, "Yeah."

She walks to her car and gets in. As she drives past him she calls, "Sorry about hitting you--"

The man laughs, "Oh, would you stop apologizing?"

"Right," she chortles, "Sorry."

The Stranger shakes his head, chuckling at the sky. And that's how she leaves him.


End file.
